Indexer



United States Patent Inventor Jack Rooklyn Northridge, Calif. Appl. No.780,363 Filed Dec. 2, 1968 Patented Dec. 29, 1970 Assignee RepublicCorporation Beverly Hills, Calif. a corporation of California INDEXER 7Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl. 104/103, 104/130 Int. Cl B61b 13/12; B61 j 3/08 Field of Search104/88, 89, 90, 91,93,94,96, 103, 162, 172, 187; 198/38, 177; 214/] l,38

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,356,040 12/1967 Fonden104/172 3,357,368 12/1967 Fonden 104/172 3,397,800 8/1968 Shaw 214/11Primary Examiner Arthur L. LaPoint Assistant Examiner-D. W. KeenAttorney-Lindenberg and F reilich ABSTRACT: Apparatus for use with atrack transportation system wherein product-supporting glides move alonga track, to smoothly move onto a siding a pair of glides that support along or heavy product. The apparatus comprises two siding tracks whichintersect the main track at positions spaced a predetermined distancealong the main track. A track switch allows the first glide to pass andthen switches the second glide onto the second siding track, and apusher assembly then moves both glides a limited distance along thesiding.

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fl-rTOEJES S INDEXER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of theInvention This invention relates to transportation systems.

2. Description of the Prior Art Conveyor systems are utilizedextensively in manufacturing plants to carry heavy goods. One system ofthis type is described in application Ser. No. 685,561 by Jack Rooklynfiled Nov. 24, 1967, assigned to the same assignee as the presentinvention, and hereby incorporated by reference. That applicationdescribes a system which employs glides that roll along a pair of railsor a tube with a slot in it. Each glide supports a carrier bar whichholds goods to be transported.

The glides are often power-driven along the track, as by a cable withmembers fastened to it that engage a glide and push it along the track.Siding areas may be provided where the glides with the goods thereon arestored, the members on the power cable disengaging from the glides asthe glides enter a siding. As succeeding glides enter the siding, theymust push the preceeding glides further into the siding. After severalglides are thus stored, the force required to push the preceeding glidesalong may be so great that the system stops. The problem of enteringglides into siding areas is especially great in the case of long orheavy goods carried by two or more glides.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present inventionis to provide apparatus for facilitating the movement of vehicles from apowered track to a nonpowered track area.

Another object is to provide siding apparatus for the efficient movementonto a siding of two or more glides that are used together to supportlong or heavy goods.

In accordance with the present invention, apparatus is provided formoving vehicles from a powered main track onto an unpowered track. Theapparatus comprises a switch that senses the entrance of the vehicleinto the unpowered track area, for operating a vehicle pushing arm. Thearm pushes the vehicle a substantial distancealong the unpowered trackarea so that the next vehicle does not have to push the first one alongthe unpowered area.

One embodiment of the invention is useful for moving into an unpoweredarea, a train of two vehicles which are used to carry long or heavygoods. The apparatus comprises two siding tracks which intersect thepowered main track at positions spaced a predetermined distance alongthe main track. A track switch is provided which allows the firstvehicle of the train to pass by the intersection of the main and firstsiding tracks, so the vehicle moves along the main track until itreaches a second siding track which it automatically enters. As soon asthe first vehicle passes the switch, the switch is operated to directthe second vehicle into the first unpowered or siding track. As bothvehicles enter their siding tracks, another switch is closed whichactivates a pusher arm. The pusher arm pushes both vehicles along theirrespective siding tracks.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity inthe appended claims. The invention will be best understood from thefollowing description when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofapparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a circuit for operating the apparatusof FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in the FIGS. longproducts such as stringers 10 which form the structure of airframes. maybe carried by a train of two (or more) vehicles or glides 12 and 14. Theglides include carrier bars l6, 18 that support an elongated frame 20 onwhich the stringers are supported. The glides have rolling members 22,24 that roll along a main track 26, the glides being spaced from eachother longitudinally along the main track. A power cable 28, driven by awheel 30, and having engaging members 32 attached thereto, movesparallel to at least a portion of the main track. One of the engagingmembers 32A abuts a carrier bar 16 to move the train ofglides along thetrack.

When the products reach a predetermined area of the manufacturing plant,they enter an unpowered or siding area where they may be kept stationarywhile work is performed. In accordance with the invention, a pair ofsiding tracks 34 and 36 is provided at the siding area, which intersectthe main track 26 at positions spaced longitudinally along it by adistance D equal to the separation of the glides l2 and 14 therealong.The siding track 36 is located uptrack from the other 34 along the maintrack. The apparatus is constructed so that the leading glide 12 movesonto the siding track34 while the trailing glide 14 moves onto the other36. As a result, the frame 20 and others like it are spaced laterallyfrom each other at the siding area, instead of longitudinally along avery long siding track, and many product-laden frames can be stored in alimited area.

In order to move the glide train properly into the siding area, theleading glide must continue on the main track past the intersection ofthe main track and siding track 36, while the next glide must enter thesiding track 36. To accomplish this, a switch 38 of a type described inthe earlier referred to patent application is employed. At the switcharea, track bar 40 continues straight along the main track while trackbar 42 curves into the siding track 36 to form part of it. Another pairof track bars 44 and 46 intersect at the switch to form the other partsof the siding track 36 and the down-track portion of the main track. Aswitch member 48 can be moved by a solenoid 50 to the position of FIG. 1wherein it bridges the gap between bars 40 and 44 to direct a glide ontothe siding 36, or alternatively to another position to bridge the gapbetween bars 42 and 46 to maintain a glide on the main track.

When a train of two glides approaches a switch area, the switch 38 is ina straight position, wherein the side 52 of switch member 48 bridges thegap between track bars 42 and 46 to maintain the first glide travelingstraight along the main track. As soon as the glide rolls over adetector 54, the switch solenoid 50 operates the switch to thedeflecting position as shown in FIG. 1, to deflect the next glide intothe siding track 36. As soon as the second glide passes over anotherdetector 56, the solenoid 50 again operates the switch to return it toits original straight position.

When the forward glide l2 begins to enter siding track 34 and thetrailing glide 14 begins to enter siding 36, the engaging member 32A onthe power cable disengages from the train and the train quickly stopsmoving. If the train is left in a position where it is just entering thesiding tracks, it will tend to impede the next train that starts toenter. The next train has a limited ability to push the preceeding trainbecause it is just disengaging from the power cable. A stoppage of theconveyor system is likely to occur if several trains are allowed to pileup at the intersection of the main and siding tracks.

In accordance with the invention, moving apparatus 58 is provided forautomatically moving each train deep into the siding area as soon as itbegins to enter. The moving apparatus comprises a pair of pusher arms 60and 62 with glide engaging ends 64 and 66. The pusher arms can be movedsimultaneously in a long stroke that causes their ends 64 and 66 to pushthe carrier bars 16 and 18 of the glides along the siding tracks. Thepusher arms have long gear racks 68 and 70 thereon which are moved bydrive pinions 72 and 74 on a drive shaft 76. The drive shaft is drivenby a gear head motor 78. Bearings 80, 82, 84 and 86 support the pusherarms and drive shaft. In the case of overhead systems, these bearingsand the housing of the gear head motor maybe mounted on a framework thatis supported on the ceilingor on columns of the manufacturing plant. lna similar manner, track supports 88 may be mounted on the ceilingstructure of a plant. Of course other motor-coupling apparatuscan beused instead of a rack and pinion drive, such as hydraulic cylinders.

When a detector 90 on the siding track 34 senses the movement of thefront glide thereon, it'activates the motor 78 of the moving apparatus.The motor'first turns in a forward direction to move the pusher armsdown the siding tracks, and then reverses to move the pusherarms back totheir original position. The end 64, 66 of each pusher arm has a curvedor angled down-track portion 64A, 66A which engages a glide car rier barto urge it around the curve into the siding track, for the usual casewhere the vehicle stops on the curved intersection. The motor 78 isprovided with a low enough torque to prevent damage in case of severebinding. After the trains have been stored in thesiding, and anyrequired work has been done onthe goods carried by them, they may bemoved back onto another manual or powered track for progress through theplant. While the detector 90 can be mounted on the siding track 34, itcan'also be mounted on the other siding track 36, or even on the maintrack, to detect a train near the intersection of the main and sidingtracks.

Simple control apparatus can be used to control the opera tion of thegear head motor 78 that powers the pusher arms. FIG. 3 illustrates asimplified circuit which can be used to start, reverse, and stop themotor. The motor 78 is connected the second glide onto the secondsiding, it sends a pulse to relay coil 98 to cause it to close switch94. The reversing switch 92 is assumed tobeinitially in a forward state,so the motor 78 then turns in a forward direction tomove out the pusherarms. When the pusher arms have been fully extended, a boss 100 (seeFIG. I) on one of the pusher arms 60 contacts a switch 102, which sendsa; pulse to thereverse input R of the reversing switch 92. The'motor 78is then reversed so it retracts the pusher arms. When the pusher annsare fully retracted, another boss 104 on a pusher arm contacts anotherswitch l06which sends a brief pulse to a relay coil 108 that turns offthe on-off switch 94 to stop the motor. The pulse also enters theforward input F of the reversing switch 92 to operate it to the forward'state'which readies it for the next glide train.

While the pusher armis useful for a train of more than one glide, it isalso useful for single glides to move them into siding or unpoweredareas. The placement of'siding tracks to intersect the main track atdistances equal to the longitudinal spacing of glides in a train, isuseful for trains of even more than two glides each, to enable compactstorage in the siding areas.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described andillustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variationsmay readily occur to those skilled in the art, and consequently, it isintended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications andequivalents.

lclaim:

1. Apparatus for automatically moving vehicles from a powered track toan unpowered track comprising:

a main track for carrying vehicles;

a second track having a curved portion connected to said main track toreceive vehicles therefrom and having a substantially straight portiondownpath from said curved portion; 1

power means extending substantially parallel to said main track formoving vehicles therea'long up to said second track; i

a pusher arm having an end for engaging a vehicle to push it 1 a limiteddistance into said second track;

motor means for moving said pusher arm substantially parallel to saidsubstantially straight portion of said second track; I

detector means for detecting a vehicle near the intersection of saidmain and second tracks; and

means coupling said detector means to said motor means to energize it,said end of said pusher arm including a first portion extendingsubstantially perpendicular to said direction of arm movement forpushing a vehicle along said substantially straight-portion of saidsecond track, and another portion which is angled from said firstportion to push a vehicle along said curved portion of said I secondtrack toward said substantially straight portion thereof.

2. Apparatus for automatically moving vehicles from a powered track toan unpowered track comprising:

a main track for carrying vehicles;

a second track connected to said main track to receive vehiclestherefrom;

A third track connected to said main track at a position spaced apredetermined distance uptrack along said main track from said secondtrack, said third track extending substantially parallel to said secondtrack;

switch means positioned at the intersection of said main and thirdtracks for allowing one vehicle to pass along said main track towardsaid second track while diverting a following vehicle onto'said thirdtrack;

power means extending substantially parallel to said main track formoving vehicles therealong up to said second track; 1 1

am means for moving vehicles simultaneously along said second and thirdtracks; v

motor means for powering said arm means;

detector means for detecting a vehicle near the intersection of saidmain and second tracks; and I I means coupling said detector means tosaid motor means to energize it. j 3. Apparatus for moving vehicles,each of which includes a glide for rolling on a track and a carrier bardepending from the glide for supporting goods, comprising:

a first track; I 1

a second track including-a curved portion intersecting. said first trackfor receiving vehicles therefrom;

power means extending along said first track for moving vehicles along;

a pusher arm positioned to engage the carrier bar of a vehicle; meansfor moving said pusherarm substantially across said first track and alimited distance generally along said second track, and then back acrosssaid first track; and means for detecting a vehicle-near theintersection of said first and second tracks 'for initiating theoperation of said means for moving.

4. Apparatus for moving onto a siding area, trains which iriclude twovehicles that are normally spaced longitudinally along a main track by,apredetermined distance to carry a large load comprising:

first and second siding tracks extending substantially parallel to eachother, and intersecting said main track at positions spacedlongitudinally along said main track by said predetermined distance, and

switch means positioned at the intersection of said main and secondsiding tracks, for allowing the first vehicle of a train to passalongsaid main track to said first siding track while diverting thesecond vehicle of a train onto said second siding track.

5. The apparatus'described in claim 4 wherein said switch meanscomprises:

a switch element movable between a first position wherein it directsvehicles to continue along said main track, and a second positionwherein it directs vehicles from said main track to said second sidingtrack;

means for operating said switch element between said first and secondpositions;

first detector means for detecting a vehicle entering onto a portion ofsaid main track between the positions of said first and second sidingtracks;

means for coupling said first detector means to said means for operatingto operate said switch element to said second position;

second detector means for detecting a vehicle entering onto said secondsiding track; and

means for coupling said second detector means to said means foroperating to operate said switch element to said first position.

6. The apparatus described in claim 4 including:

pusher means operable to push vehicles simultaneously along said firstand second siding tracks; and

detector means for detecting the entrance of a vehicle onto at least oneof said siding tracks for operating said pusher means.

7. The apparatus described in claim 4 including:

first and second pusher arms;

means for guiding said first and second pusher arms along said first andsecond siding tracks, respectively;

means for moving said pusher arms from an initial position in a forwarddirection, to move said vehicles away from said main track, and thenback to said initial position; and

a detector responsive to-substantially the entrance of a vehi cle into asiding track for operating said means for movmg.

